Snapshots
by John Locke
Summary: Maes always has his trusty camera, no matter how much it annoys Roy. And why does everyone feel the need to hug Roy? To piss him off, yes that is the right answer. Series of Ficlets, MaesxRoy
1. Hugging is Not A Crime

_Author's Note: This is dedicated to my friend Jocelyn, whom has inspired me at five in the morning to write this. Enjoy, there will be more ficlets later._

**Ficlet one: Hugging is Not a Crime**

"No more hugs!" Roy whined as he was pulled into Major Armstrong's side for a picture. It had been a rough day already, if not for all of the miscellaneous work he had to do. But because his friend, Maes Hughes was forcing him into every single colleague of his so he could get a picture. And Roy never usually whined unless pictures were involved.

"Oh come on Roy, you big baby. It's just a picture," Maes said from behind his trusty camera. Though he had to laugh as Armstrong picked Roy up like he weighed less than a pound. It was then he took the picture, and then Armstrong walked away with a large smile on his face after he set down Roy. Before Maes let Roy come near him, he called over another young man by the name of Kimbly.

Kimbly was a thin man, with the same pale skin as Roy, and equally dark hair. Except his covered his eyes. "What do you want from me, sir?" he spat not quite into the whole psychotic photographer being his superior, Kimbly too was a new Major.

"Just a photograph of you and Roy..." he struggled with this sentence as he pushed Roy towards Kimbly, "Roy... grow up."

"No more hugging..." he said directed at Maes, whom just shrugged. Roy sighed as he stood as close as he would to Kimbly without touching him. But it seemed Kimbly had other plans. Just to piss Roy off, he put an arm around his shoulders, and pulled Roy to his chest in a hug. Kimbly was sure to turn to the side still hugging Roy so that Maes could get a good picture. As soon as the picture was taken Roy tore from Kimbly's arms and shuddered slightly. There was something about that man that made him uneasy.

It was a rare sight to see, Maes had actually given up his camera. Well, not really but he gave it to a random passerby to take a picture of him and Roy. He however did not hesitate to sling an arm over Roy's shoulder and get closer to the slightly younger man. In fact Maes even made it harder for Roy to wiggle out of his grasp by holding him against his side.

"Stop the hugging!" Roy protested glaring up at Maes' wide smile. This whole situation was not fun, not fun at all. Roy hated to be hugged, or touched really. And this day... was going to give him nightmares for days to come.

"Do you really want me to stop hugging you Roy?" Maes asked seriously, but continued to smile brightly. He noticed his friends nod and so he brought his arm back to his side. And promptly leaned over and kissed Roy briefly on the lips.

As the flash went off, Roy wasn't sure if he was seeing stars, or momentarily blinded by the look in Maes' eyes before he kissed him. Well, at least he wasn't being hugged.


	2. Beyond Compare

_Author's Note: Thank you all for reviewing, it means a lot to me. . This just randomly came to me and I thought it was cute, enjoy. Oh and if you'd be ever so kind to read Ante Bellum one of my newer stories I'd be most grateful._

**Ficlet Two: Beyond Compare**

Sunday was a day to doze around, but not to be wasted in bed. Sure rest was meant for the last day of the week, but in some ways it was just too hard to be sequestered inside when the world still moved about them outside. And outside was where Maes Hughes had stumbled, quite literally, into his friend Roy Mustang.

Roy had been sitting with his back against a willow tree, the branches low enough to slightly obscure his view of the lake that sat in front of him. But the branches though long and wiry were a sight to see in the mid-day sun. It was a little known site in Central City, and Roy was glad that he had come upon it one day after going off on his own to explore. With his long legs stretched out in front of him, he was relaxing for what seemed the first time in weeks. But his peace was disturbed as Maes somehow tripped over his, Roy's, feet.

Landing on his back side, Maes grumbled in pain as he glared over at the pair of feet that had caused him to fall to the ground. Green eyes followed the black shoe clad feet up to a pair of matching black slacks covering crossed legs. And up over a familiar torso, chest covered by a thin white tee shirt, and finally resting upon a set of bemused coal colored eyes.

"Nice way to bring me back to reality Maes," Roy said a slight undertone of amusement lingering in his voice, "nearly breaking your neck by tripping over me. If you wanted my attention, all you had to do was say hello." The corners of his lips turned upward in a slight smile as he watched his friend turn his body towards him, so they were facing each other. "And now, you're blocking my view of the lake more than the tree itself was..." Roy rolled his eyes in mock frustration and chuckled lowly to himself.

After turning he inspected the camera he was holding in his right hand, to make sure his precious baby was not broken, not even in the slightest. Finding that it was unharmed a gradual smile took over his whole face, "You know Roy, if I broke anything, it would have been my tailbone. Imagine that, not being able to sit for days, weeks even..." Maes always tried to find the humor in every situation, even ones involving physical pain. "Though, you know what that's like..."

Roy's mouth opened a few times, flabbergasted at what Maes had just suggested. Though it could have been taken more than one way, he obviously meant it the way Roy had heard it. He just made an odd noise in the back of his throat and tried to look around Maes back at the calming water.

"Well if you're going to make such a ridiculous face I might as well capture it on film," Maes said laughing without care. Bringing the viewfinder up to his glasses he peered through it at Roy's scowling face, the sunlight filtering through the tree branches made a pattern against his cheeks and chest. The image was more striking, he thought, when he saw it through another 'eye'. It was enough to render him speechless before taking the picture quickly, not wanting the moment to escape him. Finally lowering the camera to his lap, he just sat there quietly observing his friend like he never had before.

And of course, this did not escape Roy's ever thinking mind as Maes rarely stopped talking about one thing or another. Taking his eyes off of the lake behind Maes, he looked directly into the startling green eyes that seemed glued to his face. It alarmed him slightly, wondering what could be wrong, or what possibly the other man was thinking, "Why, exactly, are you staring at me?" For a moment, he had to bring his hand up to his brow to shield his eyes from the sun, and to also see the soft expression on Maes' face. "Oh," the 'word' seemed to find its way out of Maes' mouth quite on its own, "I don't know really... It just seems necessary to want to revel in such beauty."

And with those words, Roy did not _really_ feel like tossing Maes' camera into the lake. Sunday's were for relaxing anyhow, he didn't want to exert much energy; at least until nightfall.


	3. Missing Piece

_Author's Note: Sorry this is so short, it's the only way I could make it without giving away the secret Loff all you reviewers!_

**Ficlet Three: Missing Piece**

Roy was restless, turning over beneath the sheets of his bed onto his back, and then onto his side, then his front. This repeating pattern was non-stop for a good deal of time, as he simply could not fall back to sleep. There was something missing, and it was gnawing at his every thought.

It filled him with a drowsy sense of fear, something familiar to him now as war was almost set upon his country. It was there, but not; and that was why he was not apt to actually physically wake and walk about the house. There was a small glimmer that everything was in his imagination, and he was just dreaming.

But Roy never dreamed, not anything he could remember anyway. Dreams just somehow slipped past the man in his hours of ink black sleep. Which he was sorely going to regret missing in the morning. Tossing a few more times he buried his head underneath his pillow trying to drone out the inaudible sounds of his thoughts. He couldn't quite understand what they were trying to get him to realize; what he was missing.

He needn't to think or lament over it anymore when the bed shifted as another body climbed underneath the covers and sought comfort against Roy's body. Soon Roy was pulled tightly against the other's chest, arms tight around his waist and legs slowly working their way around his.

Roy didn't need to figure out what was missing anymore, as Maes was finally back from wherever he had ventured off to in the still of the night.


	4. Sleeping Alchemist

_Author's Note: Yet again short enough to be a drabble rather than a ficlet... but it was such a cute idea during Finance and Math class... hope you enjoy. And to you all... I loff you for being so nice and reviewing! Roy Mustang action figures to you all::throws them at everybody:_

**'Ficlet' Four: Money Wasted**

It seemed as if Roy had wasted precious money on buying an alarm clock. Not only did it no longer function properly, it also lay in too many pieces at the base of the wall opposite of his bed. Close to the door the pieces were scattered, it was obivous the clock had been thrown.

The usual frustrating infernal beeping of the clock itself was not his reason for chucking it at the wall; nor was he in anyway trying to break the clock on purpose. It was the familiar series of bright flashes of light that made him hurl the time-piece at the wall.

He made a mental note to throw something at Maes' _camera _next time his friend decided it was time to wake him up. Instead of pointlessly throwing things at a very close range to his head, Roy didn't want to knock Maes out; just some sense into him. Any other way of rousing him from sleep would be fine. _Literally_ any other way, he could groggily think of e few ways he wouldn't even mind. But it just goes to show that you should never photograph a sleeping alchemist.


	5. Pleasent Relentlessness

_Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update, I'm a bad author… :pouts: Anyhow thank you all for reviewing. Much love to you all._

**Pleasant Relentlessness**

The incessant poking was rather annoying. The never ending chuckling was more than annoying. And the forever flowing stream of fast spoken syllables was his breaking point, "_What_ do you want Maes?"

The sheer tone that Roy Mustang's voice held at that very moment was way past pissed off, and surpassed many tones of mildly homicidal.

And there was a reason behind all of this pestering, but of course... Maes Hughes was behind it. Simply put he just wanted to bug the hell out of Roy for the pure joy of it. It really was too easy to get a rise out of the younger man. As there usually is with pesterings, he held an ulterior motive privately in his own mind as he prodded Roy for the last time between the ribs.

Roy slammed his hand palm down on his desk as he stood up, intent on doing something not so kind to Maes. But before Roy could slip on a glove, or lay a finger on his friend, he slipped over to the doorway and stood there eyes glinting maniacally; almost.

Of course, Roy followed him slowly. Intent on dragging out Maes' torture as long as he could without getting dishonorably discharged from the military. As soon as Roy had reached the doorway, or almost reached it, Maes placed a sizeable hand against Roy's chest to prevent him from moving further.

"What _now_," he seethed quietly. And before he could rant anymore Maes' hand moved, forefinger extending as the other fingers curled into a fist and he was pointing ceiling-ward.

Mistletoe.

Roy's anger was forgotten slightly as Maes leaned down to kiss him, and he even seemed to rise in anticipation. So the bastard did have a reason for annoying the hell out of him. To think, Maes was not just trying to ruin his Christmas Eve.

The persistence of Maes' lips however, was a long way from annoying.


	6. Untitled

_Author's Note: I adapted my religion reflection to fit Maes, as well as myself. I have finally gone off the deep end, and this, thusly, proves that theory._

**Untitled**

I give each of my friends, my dearest, closest, most precious friends a piece of my soul everytime we meet. A little part of me leaves with them, trailing close behind in order for my thoughts and hearts to belong with those whom matter the most. I lose a part of myself, leave a great hole in the fiber of my deepest being, to let everybody else know that they are loved, by me. 

UselesslyI offer them a bit of myself, and they keep on taking. Each day I feel just that much more empty as nobody really pays attention to what they are taking from me, exactly. Soon, I fear I will have nothing left to give but hopeless words that show no more than desperation of recognition. This giving emptiness shows no bounds, asI want people to take me, to have me. To know that they are loved, butI too, have adverse needs. 

I need to be loved as I love so helplessly. So haplessly, and so daringly. There is nothing I will not do for a friend in need. Or a friend in want. But I need them to see, they need to give back. I need a piece of them in order to fill my void. A piece of their inner fiberous being to make myself complete. 

Each day, I die a little. Knowing that no one will ever give back to me what I give to them. Each night, I cry a little, feeling utterly empty. An emptiness that will never be filled. 

This is why I take so many pictures, to see the smiling faces of my friends. Because I know that some day I will no longer be able to see how much they wish for me to see their smiles, and happiness. Though they do not give me a piece of them, I must take it for myself. 


	7. Nothing Else

_Author's Note: In response to YellowDancer... I chose John Locke because of the Philospher xD A lot of people think it is because of Lost, but alas... It is pure coincidence, no?_

_Dedicated to Kara, aka Neo Diji. Hope you're having a good day._

**Nothing Else**

The sunlight through my window pane; the moonlight on my cheeks; the wind blowing through my hair, the stillness of the air; pure grace and elegance of words; dancing figures of stealthy shadows on the wall; a sweet scent of fresh picked flowers; the low chatter of birds. None of these wonderful things, mean anything when you are near.

You make my soul seep into a recess of dark guilty pleasure whenever you are a hairs breadth away. You consume my every thought, desire, need, and want. Never letting your grip slacken, as that is the way I wish it to be. I revel in the deep resources that are your eyes; so bright and vivid. You express to me something that I have never seen before, with just a hapless glance.

I know you can see my soul, though I bare it not to the public's eye. You can see my every whim at a casual second of nothingness, effortlessly. You make me yearn to be you, be like you, be with you.

When I am with you, you are the only thing that matters. Though you make me the only thing that stands out in your heart. You care about other people, but not what they say. Especially about us, about the taboo. Love should not be talked about as such, and you pay no attention to it. Which I suppose is for the better.

Because if you started to fret over the small insignifigant details of life, then I suppose I would have to too. You are the only thing that matters to me now, the one and only. As infuriating as that may seem sometimes, I cannot help but try and fathom a better thing to have my world be centered around; and fail.


	8. Quietly Loving You

_A/N: I get weird thoughts mid-night and on caffeine. This just poured from my mind... leave some love?_

**Quietly Loving You**

Their eyes had said far too much before even a hello could be uttered. Caressing each others minds in ways that could turn any other watching into an envious creature. How can so much be said without words? Looks of longing to understand each other, to deeply know... just to know the other in ways of uncertainty. Jumping to conclusions of mutual consent bodies covered each other much more quickly than their eyes had met. Of course this was long in the making, glances provoking elicit thoughts many times prior to this fated meeting. Denying breath only briefly lips parted after brief moments of mingling together, saying much more than any word could explain. Tender and beautiful, yet unpracticed and clumsy. Such is how it should be when complying to the will of natural attraction, because then without worry it would be forced.

Each attributes their worry to possible rejection, but the parallels that their minds think on are such a scarce plane of reality that it was so easy to deny the fact that they were mirroring each other so precisely. When working in such unknown synchronicity it is a gift that is spiteful, but that spite is irrefutably worked to a dull sense of thankfulness when it pushes all to realizations. Realizations of a quiet solemn love, that is returned between stolen glances, and returned threefold between the rapture that is a shared look of longing. What is shared behind fathomless eyes in two minds alike is profoundly stated in the silence brings about a terse sense of frailty in the human heart. Because if a word is uttered aloud, that frailty will be shattered.

It is best to keep the quelling emotions beneath shaded looks, and provocative meeting of lips. Words just get in the way of eyes meeting eyes; eyes are drawn towards movement whether it be the movement of thoughts or lips in mid-sentence. They knew this, all too well and felt not like destroying what they had finally found.


End file.
